Telescoping covers, such as the telescoping machine tool way covers shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,391 B1, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, are typically made up of a number of sheet metal sections which are telescoped together. The sections have end walls or flanges that catch on one another so that when one end of the cover is pulled to extend or pushed to retract the cover, the cover extends or retracts and remains covering the way as it is moving by the end walls or flanges of each section abutting end walls or flanges of the next adjacent section until the cover is totally extended or retracted.
Way covers are typically flat, or made of two flat panels which are tented in the center. In either event, the walls of adjacent sections are relatively close to each other such that even minor imperfections in the shapes, such as small dents or bends, can result in rubbing of one section wall on the next adjacent section wall which creates friction, noise and scratching of the section surfaces. It also creates assembly problems when initially assembling the cover, as nearly all imperfections need to be taken out manually (e.g., with a hammer) so that at least initially the cover sections do not contact one another. However, in use, heavy tools are dropped on the way cover or someone may step on it, which can bend the section sufficiently so that adjacent sections rub.
In addition, bumpers have normally been used to dampen the impact as the end walls or flanges of adjacent cover sections bump up against one another when extending or retracting the cover. These bumpers have typically been elastomeric pads placed in between the abutting walls of the adjacent way cover sections, typically at the trailing ends of the cover sections. For example, in many prior art designs, replacement of the bumpers required substantial disassembly of the way cover. In addition, the bumpers gained some of their strength from the sheet metal of the cover themselves, and so the sheet metal had to be made relatively thick to support the bumper. In addition, as the bumpers were made of elastic materials, if the bumpers would rub between adjacent sections, excessive friction forces could result from the elastomer rubbing on the adjacent section.
Prior art way covers have also included wipers, typically elastomeric and installed at the leading ends of the cover sections. The purpose of the wipers is to prevent cut metal chips, oil and other debris from building up between the cover sections. They work like a windshield wiper or window squegee to clear the top surface of the cover section below the cover section to which the wiper is mounted. These also can rub between adjacent cover sections so as to create excessive friction forces, and can be difficult to install, remove and replace.